


The New Messrs

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Marauders, One Shot, POV Remus Lupin, Remus Lupin Needs a Hug, The Marauder's Map, fred and george are very confused
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27046447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Remus is hurting. And then, for a little while, he's not.A "the twins discover Remus is Moony" fic.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 42





	The New Messrs

_We are the reckless  
We are the wild youth  
Chasing visions of our futures  
One day we'll reveal the truth  
That one will die before he gets there  
And if you're still bleeding, you're the lucky ones  
'Cause most of our feelings, they are dead and they are gone  
We're setting fire to our insides for fun  
Collecting pictures from the flood that wrecked our home  
It was a flood that wrecked this home._

Remus picked at the threadbare hem of his sleeve as he made his way down yet another corridor. One of his new duties since the… _break in_ at Halloween had been to make regular patrols after curfew, and tonight he was stationed near the base of Gryffindor tower. 

The events of the past few months weighed heavily on his mind. Padf- Black’s escape, his new and unexpected employment back at Hogwarts, being a part of Harry’s life once more but as Professor Lupin instead of Uncle Moony, and now this latest incident. The idea that Black had been so close to him, so close to _Harry_ had been nearly paralysing him with terror for the few weeks since it happened. _The man who he had once trusted with everything. The man who ripped it all away._

He shook himself. Black was not here now and he had a job to do. Students to care for.

Returning to Hogwarts, however, had been dredging up old memories and Remus had never found himself missing the Marauders more. So much so that on one or two especially dark evenings he had unconsciously found himself standing outside The Three Broomsticks considering numbing the ache with a bottle of firewhiskey, before firmly reprimanding himself and dragging himself back up to the school. He had not touched a drink since McGonagall had found him in his ratty apartment a year after James, Lily and Peter’s deaths, barely alive. She had picked him up and murmured _“this isn’t what they would have wanted Remus. They cared about you, its about time you did too.”_ He knew that if he began to drink again now, he would kill himself with it.

He desperately needed a distraction.

As if some higher power had heard his thoughts he was pulled back to his present surroundings by a muffled _thud_ from down the hall. His heart began to hammer as he drew out his wand and carefully began to head towards it. _Stay calm damn it Lupin. It’s probably a student. He wouldn’t dare come here again so soon, not with the dementors on a warpath, it’s not him its not him it can’t be him-_

He found himself standing in front of the broom cupboard that the noise had come from. Blood rushed in his ears and his wand hand shook ever so slightly as he pointed it at the handle.

BANG!

The door flew open to reveal…. two guilty looking freckled faces.

“Ah. Mr Weasley, Mr Weasley.” Remus sighed, forcing himself to appear collected. “Might I ask why you have chosen to spend your night in Mr Filch’s cupboard rather than in the objectively more pleasant Gryffindor common room?”

The twins clearly knew that they had been busted, but didn’t appear in the least bit phased. “Well you see Professor, the respectable Mr Filch has had a lot on his mind lately-“

“So we decided we would be good, model students-”

“And help the poor man out.”

“Clean up a bit. You know.”

“We were only doing what we thought was right Sir.”

“Nothing worth worrying yourself about.” 

They grinned up at him. The two boys were by no means short, but Lupin had rarely met anyone that could match his lanky height, and now drew himself up from his usual slouch to make clear who was in control of the situation, (understanding from personal experience that he couldn’t allow Fred and George to lead the conversation lest it run away from him). He by no means wanted to punish the boys. Merlin knew he had been no better in his own youth, but he was aware that he had to do _something_ or else they would never behave in his class again.

A slight whiff of something foul drifted by him and he grinned. “Well gentlemen, that is certainly very considerate of you and I’m sure Mr Filch will greatly appreciate it. However I must say I am curious as to why you would deem it appropriate to bring dung bombs with you on this charitable excursion.”

“An excellent question Sir.”

“A truly brilliant mind you have.”

“A question that I think best saved for later.”

“Yes. I’m sure we’ll all feel much more up to contemplating such mysteries after a night’s rest”

“They do say that the mind functions best after a good sleep”

“So we’ll be off then I suppose”

“Have a very Pleasant night Sir.” The boys beamed innocently at him, before attempting to make their way past casual as you like. Lupin had to hold back a chuckle at their cheek, but his breath suddenly caught in his throat when he spotted something sticking out of Fred’s robe pocket.

“Wait!” he gasped hoarsely, and the twins turned to face him. “What- what is that?”

They glanced down in confusion to where he was staring. “You mean this sir?” Fred said, pulling the piece of parchment out from where it was tucked and wafting it about. “Just an old bit of scrap parchment”

Remus’ mind was frozen. _It can’t be. It just can’t._ But it was. He had spent hundreds of hours carefully examining that piece of parchment and he would know it anywhere, even after all these years.

He found his voice. “May I- Might I see it?” 

The twins glanced uncertainly at each other, before hesitantly passing it to him. “It’s nothing Sir.”

“Just for homework, see?”

But Remus payed them no mind, simply staring at the oh so familiar object. Without even thinking, he touched his wand to the parchment’s surface and whispered the words he hadn’t heard in over a decade. “I solemnly swear I am up to no good.”

He was utterly oblivious to the shell-shocked looks on Fred and George’s faces as he traced the swirling lines of ink and studied the title. The Marauders Map. A very old memory suddenly flashed before his eyes.

_“James! James look! Look what Moony’s managed to do!”_

_“What? Pads calm down and explain what’s got you so worked up.”_

_“He’s only gone and bloody done it! Moony, come and show Prongs and Wormy the map.”_

_A sixteen-year-old Remus looked bashfully down at his feet. “Well, I was just in the library trying to work out what was going wrong with the Homonculous Charm every time we’ve tried, and I just thought, well, what if I tried using fortification runes to enhance the magic? So I had a go and, well…” he gestured to the parchment in his hand._

_“No way! Are you serious Moons? Brilliant! Completely brilliant! What would we do without you, you beautiful, wolfy genius!”_

_Remus’ cheeks flushed. “Well it wasn’t really too hard in the end. The map was yours and Sirius’ idea anyway so it’s actually thanks to you-”_

_“Oh shut up you wanker. Stop being so modest.” Sirius punched him._

_“No I-”_

_“In fact, I propose that Moony’s name goes first when we sign it, as the brains behind our career of mischief!”_

_“What? That’s crazy I don’t-”_

_“I agree with Padfoot. Don’t you Wormtail?”_

_“Absolutely. You’re so smart Moony.”_

_“Then it’s agreed. And future mischief makers will revere the names Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs!” With that James struck a very silly victory pose._

_“Oi, you prick, why's Wormy’s name before mine?!”_

“Erm, Sir? Sir?” 

A voice snapped Remus out of his own mind. “Professor Lupin Sir? How did you… what just… I-“

“How in Merlin’s name do you know how to use that?”

“What? Of course I know how to use it I-” he stopped himself suddenly. In his distraction he had almost just told the two boys his identity, and Godric knew that wouldn’t have been good.

Except, when he looked again at the disbelieving faces before him he couldn’t help but be reminded of three other faces with the same bright, mischievous eyes. Faces that were gone now but would have wanted their most prized possession to be put to good use.

He made a snap decision. “Mr Weasley. Mr Weasley. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Remus Lupin, also known as, Messr Moony, of the Marauders.”

He watched with no small amount of satisfaction as two jaws simultaneously dropped. Something within him shifted, suddenly feeling almost… whole. _Yes_ , he thought. _This is right. A new generation of marauders has arrived._

**Author's Note:**

> Song at the start is Youth by Daughter.  
> I wrote and posted this all in one evening and I am aware that it is not the best written work in the world, and is a bit of an overdone idea, but I just really felt like it, so I hope someone out there likes it. I’ve never actually posted a fic before so I would love to know anyone’s thoughts, good and bad!  
> Also, I absolutely do not support JK Rowling in any way shape or form and considered stopping reading HP fics, since I had already given away my books. But then I decided that I wouldn’t let her take something I love away, so I claim this universe as ours to do with as we want without her.


End file.
